Vaccination

Vaccines have been developed that prevent some infection by some viruses that are associated with cancer, and therapeutic vaccines are in development^[when?] to stimulate an immune response against cancer-specific epitopes.^[66] Human papillomavirus vaccine (Gardasil and Cervarix) decreases the risk of developing cervical cancer.^[66] The hepatitis B vaccine prevents infection with hepatitis B virus and thus decreases the risk of liver cancer.^[66]

Advances in cancer research have made a vaccine designed to prevent cancers available. In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a human papilloma virus vaccine, called Gardasil. The vaccine protects against 6,11,16,18 strains of HPV, which together cause 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. It also lists vaginal and vulvar cancers as being protected. In March 2007, the USCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) officially recommended that females aged 11–12 receive the vaccine, and indicated that females as young as age 9 and as old as age 26 are also candidates for immunization. There is a second vaccine from Cervarix which protects against the more dangerous HPV 16,18 strains only. In 2009, Gardasil was approved for protection against genital warts. In 2010, the Gardasil vaccine was approved for protection against anal cancer for males and reviewers stated there was no anatomical, histological or physiological anal differences between the genders so females would also be protected.